SERVICES
The Westchester Consulting Group uses qualitative and quantitative research and policy analysis techniques and provides research consulting, and technical assistance services to execute a range of long-term care and disability finance, policy and program and quality assurance engagements. Our goal is to deliver practical, measurable, and high value-added results to public and private sector clients. We work closely with clients to understand their business environment, identify issues and opportunities, develop and execute innovative and effective policies, programs and solutions to problems, and establish performance measurement tools. No matter how complex the issue - from strategic planning, policy and program development and implementation to technical assistance, policy analysis and program evaluation - our skills and experience effectively link research to results.
The following examples illustrate this approach.
RESEARCH AND POLICY ANALYSIS
Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Baltimore, MD
- May 2005 - March 2006
As a subject expert, assisted in conducting an analysis of the Personal Assistance Services (PAS) programs in Maryland and PAS Programs for nonworking and working adults with disabilities in 10 selected states under subcontract with Abt Associates, Inc. in Cambridge. MA.
- October 2004 - December 2005
As a subject expert, assisted in preparing a National Compendium on Medicaid-funded Home Modification and Assistive Technology Policy and Practices under subcontract to Abt Associates, Inc. in Cambridge, MA. - January 2003 - June 2004
Under a sub-contract with the Boston College Graduate School of Social Work, conducted a national research study entitled: Accessing Workers’ Compensation Insurance for Consumer-Employed Personal Assistance Service Workers: Issues, Challenges and Promising Practices. The study identified issues related to access, affordability and promising practices and analyzed current case law. Initiated contact with national workers’ compensation insurance organizations and associations to raise their awareness to the key issues and to identify opportunities for systems change with the goal of making workers’ compensation insurance more accessible and affordable to household employers.
POLICY AND PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Cash and Counseling Demonstration and Evaluation National Program Office, Boston College Graduate School of Social Work, Chestnut Hill, MA- October 2004 - September 2007
Providing consulting and technical assistance services to the RWJ Cash & Counseling National Program Office and 12 Cash & Counseling replication state grantees (AL, IA, IL, KY, MS, MN, NM, PA, RI, VT, WA State, WV) on developing and implementing participant-directed support service programs using Fiscal/Employer Agents.
- January 1999 - September 2004
Provided consulting and technical assistance services to three demonstration states (AK, FL, NJ) on designing and implementing effective Fiscal/Employer Agent providers for their self-directed support service programs. Provided ongoing training and technical assistance on federal and state labor and employment tax and worker’s compensation insurance rules and regulations and CMS policies and procedures related to Fiscal/Employer Agents to grantees and the RWJ Foundation Cash and Counseling National Program Office. Participated with staff from the US Department of Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation on an IRS Workgroup on Fiscal/Employer Agents.
- July - November 2002, and
February - September 2004
Through a sub-contract with the MEDSTAT Group drafted a chapter on Financial Management Services for CMS’ Independence Plus Technical Assistance Guide. - July - June 2006
Through a subcontract with the MEDSTAT Group, conducted technical assistance seminars for CMS Regional Office staff and providing ad hoc technical assistance to Central Office CMS staff on Financial Management Services.
- April 2003 - May 2004
Assisted the Maine Bureau of Rehabilitation Services in preparing a renewal of the state's MaineCare Physically Disabled Waiver.
- October 2001 - March 2005
Assisted Granite State Independent Living through the receipt of a CMS Real Choice C-PASS and Medicaid Infrastructure Grant, in designing and implementing Agency with Choice Financial Management Services for the state’s Medicaid HCB-ECI Waiver funded self-directed personal care services. Tasks included:- Assisted GSIL with reviewing and commenting on Medicaid HCB-ECI waiver legislation,
- Drafted Medicaid certification rules for Other Qualified Agency (Agencies with Choice) providers,
- Developed and executed two Requests for Proposals (RFP) for organizations that wished to become Other Qualified Agencies in New Hampshire,
- Prepared a statewide policies and procedures manual for Other Qualified Agencies and conducted two regional training sessions,
- Prepared departmental operations summaries for GSIL to develop a policies and procedures manual for its organization,
- Prepared a certification application for GSIL to the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services to become an Other Qualified Agency, and
- Prepared a consumer/representative satisfaction survey related to the provision of Medicaid-funded personal care services.
- July 2002 - June 2005
Assisted PA OMR in preparing a policy bulletin and guidelines related to the provision of intermediary services for county mental retardation office administrators through a contract with SAM, Inc. and updating them as necessary.
- January 1998 - Present
Assisted the following state and local government agencies with developing and implement RFPs, RFIs, service specifications and contracts for Financial Management Services (Government or Vendor Fiscal/Employer Agent and/or Agency with Choice).- Arkansas Division of Aging and Adult Service (RFP)
- Blair County Offices of Mental Health/Mental Retardation/Drug & Alcohol (RFP)
- Florida Department of Elder Affairs (RFP)
- GovConnect/First Data Government Solutions, Ponte Verde, Florida (Contract Review)
- Granite State Independent Living, Concord, New Hampshire (RFP)
- Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Division of Medicaid (RFP and Medicaid Provider Standards)
- Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Developmental Disabilities (RFP)
- Kentucky Department of Mental Retardation Services (RFP)
- Minnesota Department of Human Services (RFI)
- New Jersey Division of Disability Services (RFP)
- New Mexico Aging and Long-Term Services Department, Division of Elderly and Disabled Services (RFP)
- Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare, Office of Mental Retardation (RFP)
- Virginia Department of Mental Retardation Services (RFP)
- September 2002 - June 2004
Assisted the Department in developing a comprehensive system for providing Financial Management Services and Supports Brokerage services to elders and individuals with disabilities of all ages eligible who use Medicaid-funded self-directed support services. Tasks included assisting in designing the system, preparing a Request for Information and service specifications for Fiscal Support Entities (FSEs), and conducting a series of training sessions and conducting 20 FSE initial Readiness Reviews.
TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
- January 1998 - Present
Conducted training and in-service technical assistance seminars on developing and implementing self-directed support services and Financial Management and Supports Brokerage services to the following public and private clients.- Abilities in Motion, Reading, PA
- Bucks County PA Department of Mental Health/Mental Retardation
- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Baltimore, MD
- Connecticut Department of Mental Retardation, Hartford, CT
- Delaware Division of Mental Retardation, Dover, DE
- First Data Government Solutions, Cincinnati, OH
- Georgia Department of Human Services, Division of Aging Services, Atlanta, GA
- Georgia Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities, Atlanta, GA
- Jewish Board of Family & Children’s Services, Inc. New York, New York
- Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services, Division of Community Supports and Services, Topeka, KS
- Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Division of Medicaid, Boise, ID
- Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Developmental Disabilities, Springfield, IL
- Maine Department of Human Services, Augusta, ME
- Maryland Association of Community Services, Baltimore, MD
- Massachusetts Division of Medical Assistance (MassHealth) Massachusetts Division of Medical Assistance, Boston, MA
- Minnesota Department of Human Services, Division of Aging and Adult Services, Minneapolis, MN
- Minnesota Department of Human Services (Division of Developmental Disability Services), Minneapolis, MN
- Nebraska Division of Agency and Disability Services, Lincoln, NE
- New York State Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, Albany, NY
- Ocean State Community Resources, East Providence, Rhode Island
- Ohio Department of Aging, Columbus, OH
- Oregon Department of Human Services, Seniors and People with Disabilities, Salem, OR
- Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare, Office of Administration, Harrisburg, PA
- Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare, Office of Mental Retardation, Harrisburg, PA
- Public Partnerships, LLC, Boston, MA
- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Cash and Counseling Demonstration and Evaluation National Program Office (including original C&C Project (AR, FL and NJ) and Replication Project (AL, IL, IA, KY, MI, MN, NM, PA, RI, VT, WA, WV), Chestnut Hills, MA
- SAM, Inc., Reading, PA
- Seven Hills Foundation, Worcester, MA
- University of Iowa, Center for Disabilities and Development, Des Moines, IA
- Venango County Office of Mental Health- Mental Retardation, Franklin, PA
- Vermont Department of Developmental and Mental Health Services, Waterbury, VT
- West Virginia University Center for Excellence in Disabilities, Morgantown, WV
- October 2005 - September 2008
Assisting with the development and operation of the CMS National Direct Service Workforce Resource Center as a member of the Technical Assistance Team under a subcontract with The Lewin Group in Falls Church, VA. A primary goal of the Center is to provide information, resource and direct assistance to state and local governments, not-for-profit organizations, employers and CMS grantees and initiatives seeking to improve recruitment, training nad retention of direct support professionals.
- January 2004 - December 2005
Member of the National State-to-State Technical Assistance Program’s consulting staff responsible for providing technical assistance to FY 2003 CMS Real Choice Systems Change grantees on designing, implementing and evaluating Financial Management Services for self-directed support service programs.
- October 2004 - September 2007
Member of the National State-to-State Technical Assistance Program's consulting staff responsible for providing technical assistance to FY 2004 CMS Real Choice System Change grantees on financial management service issues.
PROGRAM EVALUATION AND QUALITY ASSURANCE
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Baltimore, MD- October 2005 - September 2010
As a subject expert, site visit leader and member of the Systems Transformation Evaluation and Reporting Team, evaluating the systems and impacts of the Fiscal Year 2005 (FY05) Real Choice Systems Change (RCSC) Grants in LA and MA, and providing technical assistance to these grantees regarding strategic planning, evaluation strategies and outcome measures under contract to Abt Associates, Inc. in Cambridge, MA.
Conducted initial Vendor Fiscal/Employer Agent Readiness Reviews for the replication state grantees including:
- Rhode Island Department of Human Services, Center for Adult Health, Cranston, RI. for the PersonalChoice Program (January 2006)
- Vermont Agency for Human Services, Division of Aging and Independent Living, Waterbury, VT for the Flexible Choices Program (March 2006)
- March - December 2005
Evaluated the operations of four Vendor Fiscal/Employer Agents providing fiscal intermediary services to recipients enrolled in the Massachusetts Medicaid PCA Program and developing and implemented a phase-out plan to terminate operations of one Agent by December 31, 2005 under a subcontract with DVallis, PC.
- September 2004 - September 2004
Conducted Fiscal Service Entity (FSE) initial readiness reviews of 20 FSE applicants for the Department of Human Services.
- February - April 2003
Evaluated Alpha One’s operations policies, procedures and internal controls as an Agency with Choice provider and the feasibility of becoming a Vendor Fiscal/Employer Agent.
- January 1999 - December 2002
Developed a template and guidelines for conducting initial readiness reviews and ongoing mid-year and annual performance reviews for Vendor Fiscal/Employer Agents. Conducted initial readiness reviews and ongoing mid-year and annual performance reviews of Fiscal/Employer Agents operating in the three Cash and Counseling Demonstration states (AR, FL, and NJ).
- September 2002
Conducted an annual performance review of CAUs operations and policies and procedures as the Fiscal/Employer Agent of the New Jersey Personal Preference Program.
